Transmission mechanism.



' L. 1. SCHLOTTERBACK. TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION TILED AUG.4,1911. 1,02 ,4 9, Patented May 14, 1912 z snnn'rssnnm 1.

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1 TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

2 BHEET88HEET 2.

WITNESSES.

A TTOHWEW clutch UNITE STATES PATENT QFIFICE.

LEWIS E. SCI-ILOT'IERIBACK, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T L. E. SCHLQTTERBACK MANTIFACTURING (10., A CORPORATION OF JERSEY.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

To all whom itmag concern Be it known that I, LEWIS E. SouLo'r'rnnnaon, a citlzen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and 5 State of New Jersey, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements in Transmission Mechanismpand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification..

The present invention has reference, generally, to improvements in transmission mechanism for auto-vehicles, and other uses, and, the invention relates, more particularly,

to a simple, efficient and easily operated transnnssion mechanismspeed changing combined with an automatic clutch device cooperating therewith.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a novel construction of transmission mechanism which may be operated to change the speed of a driven shaft or wheel, the same being provided with an automatic clutch device which is 3 automatically released from operative or driving condition when said transmission mechanism is operated to change from one speed to another, thus permitting the control of the speed-changing operation and 5 the clutch-manipulation by means of a danger of stripping, breaking or otherwiseinjuring the gear-teeth of said gearing, or other parts of the transmission mechanism.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combined relation of variable speed gearing transmission mechanism with an automatic clutch device, whereby the take up of the clutch, when changing from one speed to another, is gradual, thus avoiding the subjectionof the transmission mechanism and the apparatus driven thereby to the sudden strains and stresses conse- '-quent'upon the sudden throwing in of a and, furthermore, obvlat ng the umping of. the driven apparatus when the speed is changed.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 4, 1911. Serial No. 642,222.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Other objects of the present invention not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of my present in vention.

With the various objects of this invention in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel combined variable speed transmission and clutch mechanism hereinafter set forth; and, furthermore, this invention consists in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various mechanisms .and their parts, as well as in the details of the construction thereof, all of which will be hereinafter more fully described in the following specificatiom; and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claims which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the novel construction of combined variable speed transmission and clutch mechanism made according to and embodying the principles of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a detail transverse section of the same taken on line 22 in said Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the. arrow 0', said View being drawn upon an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal cross-sectiontaken on line 3--3 in said Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow Similar characters of reference are em ployed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referrin now to the-said drawings, the reference-c aracter 1 indicates the complete novel construction of combined variable speed transmission and clutch mechanism ma'de accordin to and embodying the principles of the iresent invention, the same comprising a rotatable disk 2 having 11 on its face a series of concentrically arranged sets of gear-teeth. which extend outwardly from the face of said disk, and at rightangles thereto. The outer row or set of gear-teeth 3 are the high-speed driving gearill) teeth, while the inner row or set ofgearintermediate of said high and low speeds. I clutch-drun'i 12. The free ends of said For the purposes of greater simplicity of description and illustration, however, but two sets or rows of driving gear-teeth are shown, although I do not wish to limit this invention to any particular number of sets or rows driving gear-teeth whereby a variability of driving speed. is obtained and trans mitted from a prime mover. Said disk 2 is driven or rotated 'through the agency of any prime-mover or other source of power, and to this end may be mounted, for ample, upon the crank-shaft of any internal combustion or other engine. the power shaft of an electric motor, or any other source of power.

The

reference-character 5 indicates a transmission shaft from which the power is transmitted to the apparatus or devices to be moved, either direct y or indirectly. A

. portion of said transmission shaft 5 is preferably of polygonal cross-section. Slidably mounted upon said transmission shaft, so as to bemovable forward and backward upon the polygonal portion thereof, and the same being adapted to rotate with said transmission shaft, is a carrier-member 6, I the same being provided with a rearwardly extending journal-portion 7 having a reduced extension 8. duced extension of said journalportion 7 is the flanged collar 9 providing the groove 10 for receiving the fork of a shifting-lever (not shown) whereby said ca rrier-member 6 ismoved forward and backward upon said transmission-shaft 5. Rotatably mounted upon said journal-portion 7 of said carriermember 6 is the hub-portion 11 of a clutch- .drum 12; Secured to said clutch-druni, by means of bolts or other suitable fastening means, is a gear-member 13, the gear-teeth 14 of which are adapted to be moved into .meshing contact with either of said rows or sets of gear-teeth 3 and 4, which are an ranged upon said disk 2. The-interior of said clutch-drum 12 may be closed at its open end bymeans of a suitable cover-plate or closure 15,'secured thereto in any desirof a pin 20, is a clutch-bandshoe 21, each clutch-band shoe '21 being adapted to'oper- 'atively support and connect with said. clutch-operating levers 19, line er the respective ends of a clutch-band 22 the latter extending around and being in practical contact with the interior surface pf said Secured upon said re-' clutclroperating levers 19 are each provided with suitable perforatlons 23 by means of which an interconnecting coll-spring 21 may be connected between said clutch-operatinglevers, so as to subject the same to the required tension to overcome any tendency of movement of said levers 10, due to centrifu gal force generated in the moving mechanism, and to give the initial operating impulse to the clutch-operating levers. of said clutch-operating levers 19 is pro- Each vided, at a point between its fulcrum and its free end, with an operating trigger 25, preferably forming an integral part thereof, and said carrier-member 6 is provided with a pair of suitably disposed openings or passages 26 through which said triggers may respectiv'ely pass to permit the same to ride operatively 1n sliding contact with portions of said transnnssion shaft 5, when said carrier-member 6 is moved forward or backward upon said transmission shaft. Said'clutch-operating levers 19 are further proyided with stop-projections 27 arranged to engage at proper times with the outer surface of said carrier-member 6 to limit the pivotal movements of said clutch-operating levers in one direction. The said transmis sion-shaft 5 is provided with a series of depressions. or notches which, at proper times, engage said triggers 25, thereby permitting the operation of either one or the other of said clutch-operating levers 19.

The operation of the novel construction of combined variable speed-transmission and clutch mechanism, the details of the construction of which are above described, is as fol1ows:Referring to the drawings,.the mechanism is illustrated in aposition in whichthe same is arranged to transmit power at high speed, and it will be noticed that the gear-teeth 14 of said gearmember 13 of said clutch-drum 12 are in mesh with the high speeddriving gear-teeth 3 of said disk 2. 'When' said gear-teeth 3' and 14 are completely and properly in their meshed relation, the trigger 25 of one of said clutch-operating levers 19 is raised out of a depression or notch 28 and in contact with the outer surface of said transmission shaft-:5, thus forcing said clutch-operating dever to its stopped position, with its stop- 'projection 27 against said carrier -member'G, and consequently held against any pivotal movement. Consequently this rigidly held clutcl1-operating lever holds one end of said clutch-band22 against"movement, or in other Words it is anchored. The trigger 25 of the opposite clutch-operating lever 19 has been caused to ride into a depression or notch 28 of said transmission shaft 5 and the tension ofsaid coil-spring 24 has caused said opposite clutch-operating lever to oscillate, so that the same, acting through its lto'nection with said clutch-halal 22, forces said clutch-band into operative engagement with said clutch-drum 12, whereby the rotation of said clutch-drum 12, as caused by the meshin gears, is transmitted to said carrier-mem er 6, which is thereby caused to rotate therewith, and consequently said transmission-shaft, being arranged to rotate with said carrier member, is likewiseput in motion. Assume now that it is dcsiredto shift from high speed to low speed. 'lo attain this end, the carrier-member (i is shifted rearwardly upon said transmission-shaft 5. \Vith the very beginning of this sliding movement the trigger 25, which is in engagement with said notch or depression 28, begins to lift as it climbs the side of the latter, and by the ,time the gear-teeth 14 of said ear-member 13 have been moved or released rom their meshed relation with said gear,- teeth 3 of said disk 2', the said trigger has been entirely raised and is riding in contact with the normal surface of said transmission-shaft, thereby oscillating said clutch-operating lever 19 in an opposite direction and consequently causing the same to pull said clutch-band 22 from its clutched re lation with said clutch-drum 12, the opposite clutch-operating lever 19 remainingin its rigidly held position since it meets with no not'chesor depressions 28 in the course of this movement. A consequence then of the release of said clutch-band is to permit said clutch-drum 12 and its gear-member 13 to turn 'freelyupon said carrier-member 6 without rotating the latter or the transmis- 'sion-shaft 5. The continued shifting of said carrier-member 6 carries said clutch-drum 12 and its gear member 13 therewith until the gear-teeth 14 are brought into contact with thelow speed driving gear-teeth of said disk 2, forcing the former into mesh with the latter. By..the time the meshed relation of said respective gear-teeth is established, so that said clutch-drum is caused to rotate, the trigger 25 of said clutch-operating lever 19 comes in contact with a second notch or depression 28 of said transmission.

shaft '5, thereby again permitting said clutch-operating lever tolbe oscillated to establish the clutched relation between said clutchban l 22 and said clutch-drum 12, and

I a consequent transmission of power to said transmission shaft 5. Said trigger 25 moves into said notch or depression in a comparatively gradual'manner so that said clutchband takes hold with increasing pressure upon said clutch-drum, thereby obviating sud-den stresses, strains and jumping of the mechanism as heretofore me' tioned. It will be noticed, that the notches or depressions 28 on the lower side of "d transmission shaft 5 are located in such ima nor-that they will engage the opposite dilt operating lever trigger, whereas the absence of notches in the same relative position upon the upper side of said transmission-shaft renders the relation of the respective clutchoperating levers 19 to be reversed, so that the lever heretofore described as movable is now the rigidly held lever and the opposite lever now becomes the movable lever which controls the operating of said clutch-band 22. The first of said notches or depressions 28 on the lower side of said transmissionshaft 5 is a neutral notch or depression; that is, it ati'ords an indication, by engaging the trigger 25, that the gear-member 13 has been carried to a point substantially opposite the center of said disk 2, where it is out of mesh 'with both rows or sets of gear-teeth 3 and 4,

and consequently cannot be turned or rotated in either direction. This point would be the normal point of rest for the transmis sion gearing. If the said carrier-member (3 is shifted rearwardly beyond the said neutral point, the gear-member 13 is brought into contact with the low -speed driving gear-teeth -it on their opposite side, thereby rotating the former in the reverse direction, as will be clearly understood. When the parts are in this position, the trigger 25 of the opposite clutch-operating lever 19 is carried into engagement with the last notch or depression, thereby operating said clutchmechanism in the manner above described to transmitthis reverserotation, at low speed, to the said carrier-member (i and transmission-shaft 5, all of which will be clearly understood from an inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawings.

I prefer to provide'the respective gearteeth of my transmission mechanism with chamfered ends 29, whereby the same are caused to more easily assume their meshed relation with each other when the same are moved together, as will be very apparent.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and.combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction thereof, without departing from the 500 e of the present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification,'and as defined in the clauses of the claim which is appended to. the same. Hence, I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts as described in said specification, nor do I confine myself H theexaictdetails of the construction of 'tiEe said devices and parts as illustrated in t e accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. A combined variable speed transmission and clutch. mechanism comprising a transmission shaft, a carrier-member slidably mounted on said transmission-shaft and rotating therewith, a gear mounted to rotate freely upon said carrier-member, and automatic clutch-mechanism arranged with transmission-shaft, a carrier-member 'slid-' said gear and said carrier-member for transmitting the rotary movement of the former to the latter at predetermined times.

I 2. A combined variable speed transmis sion and clutch mechan1sm comprlsing a transmission shaft, a carrier-member slidably mounted on said transmission shaft and rotating therewith, a gear mounted to rotate freely upon said carrier-member, and automatic clutch-mechanism arranged with said gear and said carrier-member for transmitting the rotary movement of the former to the latter at predetermined times, and means for driving said gear at variable speeds.

3. A combined variable speed transmission and clutch-inechanism comprising a driving disk provided with a series of concentrically arranged sets of gear-teeth, a

ably mounted on said transmission-shaft, and rotating therewith, a gear mounted to rotate freely upon said carrier-member and adapted to be carried thereby into meshing engagementwith any one of said 'sets of gear-teeth on saiddriving-disk, and automatic clutch mechanism arranged with said gear and said carrier-member for transmitting the rotarymovement ofthe former tothe'latter at predetermined times.

4. A combined variable speed transmission and clutch mechanism comprising a driving disk provided with a series of concentrically arranged sets of gear-teeth, a transmission-shaft, a. carrier-member slidably mounted on saidtransmission-shaft, and rotating therewith, a gear mounted to rotate freely upon said carrier-member and adapted to be carried thereby into meshing engagement with any one of said sets of gear-teeth on said driving disk, automatic clutch-mechanism' arranged with said gear and said carrier-member for transmitting the rotary movement of the-former to the latter at predetermined times, and'means upon said transmission-shaft for operating said clutch-mechanism.

5. A combined variable speed transmis- .sion and clutch-mechanism comprising a transmission-shaft, 'a carrier member slidably mounted on said transmissioneshaft and rotating therewith, a clutch-drum rotatably mounted on said carrier-member, a gear-member connected with said clutchdrum, a. clutch-band cohp'erating with said clutch-drum, and means carried by said carrier-member and operated by the slidable movements of the same to automatically operate said clutch-band at proper times.

6. A combined variable speed transmission and clutch-mechanism comprising a transmission-shaft, a carrier-member slida'bly mounted on said transmission-shaft and rotating therewith, a clutch-drum rotatably mounted on said carrier-member, a gear-memberconnected with said clutchcarried by said carrier-member, said clutchoperating mechanism being operated by engagement with said'notches or depressions of said transmission-shattwhen said can rier-inember is slidably moved.

8. A combined variable speed transmission and clutchmechanism comprising a transmission-shaft provided with suitably disposed depressions or notches in its body. a carrier-member slidably mounted on said transmission-shaft and rotating therewith, a gear mounted to rotate -freely on said carrier-member, clutch-mechanism connected with said gear, clutch operating mechanism.

carried by said carrier me'mber, said clutchoperating mechanism being operated by engagement with sa1d notches or depressions of said transmisslon-sha'ft when sa d carriermember is slidably moved,i- .a'nd-means for driving said gear at variable speeds.

9. A combined variable speed transmia sion and clutch-mechanism comprising transmission-shaft provided with suitably disposed depressions or notches in its body, a carrier-member slidably mounted on said transmission-shaft and rotating therewith, a clutchdrum rotatably mounted on said carrier-member, a gear-member connected with said clutch-drum, a clutch-band cooperating with said clutch-drum, clutch -operating levers carried by said carrier-morn ber and connected with said clutclrband, and means connected with said clutch-operating levers engageable by said tran"missionshaft and'its hotches or depre to r n trol the movement of. said levers to operate said clutch-band at proper times.

10. A combinedyariable speed t1: nsmission and clutch-mechanism comp s ng a transmission-shaft provided with suitably disposed depressions or notches in its body, a carrier-member slidably mounted on said transmission-shaft and rotating therewith,

a clutch-drum rotatably mounted on said carr1er-Inember,'a gear-member connected with -said clutch-drum. a clutclrband co operating withi said clutch-drum, clutch-op crating levers carried by said carrier-member and connected with said clutch-band,

and means connected with said clutch-operating lever engageable by said transmission-shaft and its notches or depressions to control the movement of said lovers to operate said clutcl1-band at proper times, and means for driving said gear-member and clutch-drnn'i at variable speeds.

11. A combined variable speed transmission and clutch-mechanism comprising a driving disk provided with a series of concei'itrically arranged sets of gear-teeth, a transmission shat't n'ovided with suitably disposed depressions or notches in its body a carrim-meniber slidably mounted on said transmissit n-shaft and rotating therewith, a clutch-drum rotatably mounted on said carrier-member, a goal-member connected with said clutch-drum and adapted to be carried into meshing contact with any one of said sets of gear-teeth on said drivingdisk when said carrier-member is slidably fshifted, a clutch-band cooperatingwithsaid UlUtCh-Cllllll'), clutch-operating levers (a rried by said carrier-member and coni'lected with said clntch band, and means connected with said clutch-operating levers engageablo by said transmission-shaft and its notches or depressions to control the movement of said a levers to release said clutch-band when said gea-r-rnen1ber is moved out of mesh with one set of gar-teeth of said driving-disk, and to thrown in said. clutch-band when said gearmember has been moved vinto n'ieshing relation With another set of gear-teeth of said driving-disk. I

1.2. A combined variable'spced transmission and clutch-meehanisn'i comprising a driving-disk provided with a series of conzentrically arranged sets of gear-teeth, a

sion and clutch-n1eelMnisn1 comprising a driving disk provided with a series of coneentrirally arranged sets of gear-teeth, a transmissioirshalt provided with suitably disposed depressions or notches in its body, a combined gear-member and elutch-drlu'n, means for slidably carrying said combined gear-member and clutelwjlruin upon said transmission-shalt to cause said gear-membei; to mesh with any one of said sets of gear-teeth on said driving tlisk, a -cluteh mechanism carried with said conihined gearmember and clutch-drum, and means for operating said clntch-n'leehanism engageable by said transmission-shatt and its doprcssions or notches to impart therotary motion of said gear-member to said transmission shatt at predetermined tin'ies.

In testimony, that I' elailnthe invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of July, 1911.

LEXVIS F. SCI-ILOT'IE. tBACK.

Witnesses: I

HERMAN J. Koninznn, G-nonon D. RICHARDS. 

